KATHMANDU: A group of ten political parties has jointly condemned the Election Commission’s proposed draft titled “Political Party Self-Evaluation Procedure, 2025,” calling it unconstitutional and an overreach of authority.

In a joint statement, the parties expressed serious concern over the draft, which they claim directly affects the autonomy of political parties, undermines democratic principles, and intrudes on the constitutional mandate of Nepal’s federal legislature.

The statement, released on behalf of the parties, criticizes the Commission for attempting to introduce what they describe as a parallel legal framework through delegated legislation.

The draft, they argue, is presented as a procedural guideline under Section 61 of the Political Parties Act, but in reality, it functions as an entirely new legal instrument.

According to the signatories, this undermines the authority of the federal parliament and violates the basic principle that delegated laws must remain within the boundaries of the enabling legislation.

The parties argue that the draft allows the Election Commission to monitor, evaluate, direct, and regulate political parties, which they say would compromise party independence and restrict competitive multiparty democracy.

The proposal, they say, opens the door to administrative overreach, where a constitutional body assumes powers that are neither constitutionally nor legally granted.

The statement also highlights that the draft raises serious concerns regarding the separation of powers, as it attempts to bypass parliamentary authority by granting legislative power to a regulatory body.

The parties view this move as a deliberate attempt to shrink the role and rights of political parties, which form the cornerstone of Nepal’s democratic structure.

Calling the draft politically and legally unacceptable, the parties demand that the Election Commission immediately withdraw the proposal.

They urge the Commission to respect the Constitution, existing laws, and democratic norms.

The joint statement was signed by representatives of ten political parties, including the CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party, Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Aam Janata Party, and Janata Samajwadi Party, Nepal.